Iconic, flakey and buttery Pistachio and Walnut Baklava studded with Valrhona 70% Guanaja Chocolate, soaked in a honey clove syrup – this is Pistachio Chocolate Baklava – “choclava”

*This post is sponsored by Valrhona USA. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting Lion’s Bread.

What is Baklava?

Baklava is a dessert or pastry made of many sheets of phyllo pastry, then traditionally filled with chopped nuts and spices and soaked in a rich honey syrup. I’ve added some incredible Valrhona chocolate to this classic, and now I call it Choclava, and you can too!

Want more delicious desserts?

Check out:

Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes with Yogurt Cream

Apple Cider Churros

Dark Chocolate Bark with Cherries, Pistachios, Apricots, and Pink Salt

The Origin of Baklava

The flakey sweet pastry is widely popular in Greek, Turkey, and the Middle East.

Many different cultures and ethnic groups claim Baklava to be “theirs,” although the history of baklava is not well-documented. The word “baklava” entered English from Turkish, although the dish is often thought to be of Greek origin. The best evidence is that it is of Central Asian Turkic origin. Although there are still scholars that believe baklava is a product of Persia. The earliest written record of Persian baklava appears in a 13th-century cookbook that was based on 9th-century Persian recipes.

Ingredients

phyllo dough – found in the freezer section of your grocery store! make sure to thaw your phyllo pastry in the fridge overnight. While I’m layering my Pistachio and Chocolate Baklava, I like to keep mine covered by a clean damp kitchen towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out.

unsalted butter – melted butter is the back bone of this recipe, so I use high quality grass-fed European butter that has a high fat content and better flavor th an the American counterparts.

Valrhona 70% Guanaja Feves – This semi-sweet dark chocolate from Valrhona is an absolute dream. It is perfectly sweet and bitter, and has beautiful nutty and fruity notes that pair so well with the floral flavors of the honey syrup, and the chopped pistachios and walnuts.

pistachios – I use lightly roasted, unsalted shelled pistachios but you absolutely use raw pistachios if you like.

walnuts – use lightly, unsalted roasted walnuts, and chop them the same size as the pistachios and chocolate for the perfect bite.

honey – I like to use a lighter golden honey like alfalfa, clover or buckwheat honey for this baklava syrup. The milder flavor marries perfectly with the Valrhona chocolate and chopped nuts, and spices.

kosher salt – I always a generous amount of kosher salt when I make baklava to counteract the sweetness of the pastry. The salt doesn’t make the dessert “salty” – it simply enhances the prominent flavors even more. Great bakers always salt their desserts!

ingredients

How to cut Baklava

Here’s the secret to cutting sharp angles on your baklava like a pro: cut the baklava before it bakes!

With the long edge of the baking tray facing you, use a sharp chef’s knife the slice the layered dessert into 4 equal rectangles.

Then slice down the middle of each of those sections. Next, starting in the corner, slice across the baking sheet diagonally to create diamond shapes. Voila!

how to make baklava – layering phyllo dough

how to cut baklava

How to Store

The best way to store baklava is in an airtight container at room temperature. It will last at room temperature for up to 4 days because the honey syrup acts a natural preservative.

Pro Baking Tips

• Even if you think your pistachio and chocolate baklava is done, bake it for another 5 minutes to ensure that the layers of phyllo are nice and golden brown and flakey.
• Pace yourself when brushing the melted butter between the layers. You don’t want to add too much to make the layers soggy.
• Pour the honey syrup on the baked baklava when it’s super hot from the oven. You should hear an audible sizzle as you pour. This helps the pastry absorb the syrup even better.
• Let your baklava rest for at least 1 – 12 hours before serving. The flavors will be more pronounced, and the texture of the phyllo is flakier once it has absorbed the syrup.
• Chop all of your nuts and chocolate about the same size, so you get a uniform bite.

Make sure to tag me @lions.bread on Instagram and comment below if you make this Pistachio and Chocolate Baklava.  I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. 

Did you make this incredible Pistachio Chocolate Baklava – “choclava”? please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

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Pistachio and Chocolate Baklava

Course Dessert

Cuisine middle eastern

Keyword baklava, choclava, pistachio

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Servings 24 pieces

Author LeAnne Shor

Ingredients

Baklava and Nut Filling

• 7 oz shelled pistachios coarsely chopped, 1 ½ cups
• 5 oz walnuts coarsely chopped, 1 cup
• 5 oz. Valrhona Guanaja chocolate feves coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 oz package phyllo dough thawed, 1 package
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, 213 g

Honey Syrup:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup honey
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 lemon juiced

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Prepare the Honey Syrup: Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the honey, and whole cloves; stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and let cool to lukewarm. Add lemon juice. Remove the whole cloves.
• Make the Nut Mixture: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, add the pistachios, walnut, and hazelnuts. Pulse a few times to chop. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add sugar, chopped chocolate, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Mix well to combine.
• Prepare the Phyllo Pastry: Unroll the thawed phyllo pastry and place the sheets in between two clean kitchen towels. This will help keep the phyllo from breaking while you work.
• Assemble the Baklava: Prepare a 9” x 13” x 2” baking pan. Brush the interior of the baking pan with some of the melted butter. To assemble the baklava, take one sheet of phyllo and place it in the pan, fold the sheet in half if you need to make it fit. Brush the top of the phyllo sheet with the melted butter.
• Repeat this process a few more times until you have used up about 1/3 of the phyllo pastry, each layer being brushed with the melted butter.
• Now, distribute about ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
• Continue assembling the baklava, one sheet of phyllo pastry at a time using another 1/3 of the phyllo. Again, brush each layer with a bit of the melted butter.
• Distribute the remaining ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
• Finish the remaining 1/3 of the phyllo pastry following the same process, laying one folded sheet at a time and brushing each layer with melted butter. Brush the very top sheet of phyllo with butter.
• Cut the Baklava Pastry Into Pieces: Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 24 diamond shaped pieces (you can get up to 36 smaller pieces).
• Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top layer of the baklava turns deeply golden brown.
• As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the cooled syrup all over the hot baklava. Cool Completely: Allow the baklava to sit for a t least 1 hour before serving. Cut the baklava into pieces using the marked cuts as a guide. Top each piece with chopped pistachios as a garnish.

The post Chocolate Pistachio Baklava first appeared on Lion’s Bread Blog.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that a portion of the profit goes to me, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Lion’s Bread possible.

The post Pistachio Chocolate Baklava – “Choclava” appeared first on Lion's Bread.

One of the best things you can easily whip up from scratch! homemade Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Cream – lemony soft + sweet biscuit-like shortcakes layered with glossy, syrupy strawberries, and tangy sweet soft whipped vanilla cream! An elevated version of a classic that we all know and love

*This post is sponsored by Brown Cow Yogurt. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make Lion’s Bread possible.

Hi Everyone! These Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Cream are probably my recipe of the year! Berries and Cream have been a favorite of mine since I was kid, and this is the most elevated scratch made version of it. For me, a great dessert should be, in a word, a balance. A balance of creamy and tart, crunchy and smooth, and just sweet enough. That’s exactly what we have here. Since this recipe has only a few ingredients, try to use the best quality ingredients that you can find. Go for local berries if you can, pure vanilla extract always, unbleached flour, and really high quality yogurt. The richness in Brown Cow Whole Milk Plain Yogurt comes through in a big way here, and brings a beautiful tang to the rich whipped cream. I’ve also added it into the shortcakes, which gives them a really tender crumb.

What is Strawberry Shortcake?

This American version of Strawberry Shortcake is a sweet biscuit-like little cake, split in half, and filled with fresh strawberries and sweetened whipped cream. The syrupy sweet juices from the fresh berries tend to soften the biscuits a bit, in the best possible way, and the perfect bite would be cake + berry + cream all on one spoon! The British word shortcake means a cake that has a short crumb, not chewy or too flakey, but more crumbly and rich.

There are several different versions of this dessert, including pound cake, angel food cake, sponge cake layers. These individual biscuits are the most traditional, and the most delicious in my opinion.

How is Shortcake different than a Biscuit?

Biscuits are generally made of flour, butter, leavener, and buttermilk/milk, and salt. The butter is often quickly laminated in and creates flakey layers. These shortcakes have a short crumb, and have egg, yogurt, a bit of sugar added in to enrich them. The texture is more crumbly, rather than flakey, and the perfect vehicle for all of those macerated strawberries and fluffy yogurt cream.

How to macerate strawberries?

Unless you’re using impossibly ripe, freshly picked strawberries (by all means, please do use them here if have them!) grocery store strawberries usually need a little bit of…help. In order to draw out their juices and sweetness, I love to macerate them. In other words, we want to soften the strawberries but soaking them in their own juices. Hull and quarter the berries, place them in a bowl, and add about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and about 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Give them a good stir to make sure they’re all coated with the sugar. At this point, I cover the bowl, and let them sit for at least an hour, either at room temperature or in the fridge.

After an hour, give them another stir, and you might be amazed at the transformation. The syrupy sweet juices pool at the bottom of the bowl, and the berries are soft and incredibly sweet. This method can make even the most “meh” strawberries taste delicious, so imagine how incredible peak summer berries would be! Use this method with raspberries, blackberries, blueberries as well! It’s the perfect topping for your morning oatmeal, granola, or ice cream and frozen yogurt.

How to make the best Shortcakes

Speaking specifically about the shortcakes, there are a few tips that will help you be successful. First, make sure all of your ingredients are cold, especially the cream, yogurt, and egg. This will give your shortcakes a better rise when they hit the hot oven. Also a more flakey, crumbly, tender crumb. Second, DO NOT over mix your dough. Use a wooden spoon to mix the dough gently by hand, only until the dough comes together, and there are no dry patches of flour. Over mixing will develop the gluten, which leads to a chewy shortcake (not at all what you want). Third, the dough should be a bit sticky and hydrated. Resist the urge to add too much extra when shaping the shortcakes. A light dusting on the board, the surface fo the dough and your hand should suffice.

For larger shortcakes, cut the dough into 6 rectangles. You can absolutely make these a bit smaller, and cut out 8 biscuits instead.

Ingredients

• Brown Cow Whole Milk Plain Yogurt – I’ve fallen in love with this brand, truly. The richness and flavors of their yogurt are incredibly delicious on their own, and a dream to bake with. I’m using their Plain yogurt here, but you could definitely use their Cream Top Vanilla Yogurt instead. To find it at a retailer near you, visit their handy store locator tool here.
• cream – always go with unsweetened heavy whipping cream, not half and half, or any fancy creamers.
• flour – it’s unbleached all purpose flour for me. Specifically King Arthur Baking Company. I really appreciate their attention to quality and detail, and fair business practices.
• egg – for all of my recipes I use large AA organic eggs. Better yet, try to find some fresh local eggs. Their yolks should be bright orange, and they add incomparable richness to any bake.
• vanilla – always always always use pure vanilla extract. I know it’s pricier, but the flavor it adds is so worth it. Some great vanillas are from Madagascar and Mexico.
• fresh lemon zest – it’s important to wash and dry your whole lemons before zesting to remove any dirt, dust, wax on the peel, and possible pesticides.
• berries – of course, try to get the freshest, ripest berries that you can. But, if you’re like me, and can only get delicious strawberries for about 2 months out of the year, make the best of your grocery store berries by macerating them (see above!).

How to assemble Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Cream

This part reminds me of The Sandlot, but here goes: first you take the Shortcake, split it in half. Then you spoon on the macerated berries, then you dollop on some fluffy yogurt cream, then place the top of the shortcake on top. Sometimes, I like to add another tiny dollop of cream on top, with just a few more juicy berries. I’m telling you, the presentation is WOW!

Storing Shortcakes

These Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes are best eaten fresh out of the oven, once they’re mostly cooled. It’s also really important to assemble the shortcakes with the berries and cream right before you are going to serve them. The shortcakes can be made a few hours in advance, and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. When you’re ready to serve, just split them in half and fill. I know we all the ability to freeze baked goods, but i really wouldn’t recommend freezing these shortcakes. A LOT gets lost in the freezer here, and they’re just 99x more delicious when fresh.

Equipment

• bench scraper – a must when making bread and pastry
• my favorite baking sheets – I ALWAYS use these because my Mom uses them and swears by them. I truly believe the air cushion gives you an even bake, and prevents burning.
• the mixing bowl I can’t stop using – you’ve seen this in my videos, and I love it, truly the perfect size and is so well made.
• electric mixer – of course you can whip cream by hand, but I love using my KitchenAid for this task, along with 1000 other uses in the kitchen. It’s an investment that will last a lifetime

I’m so excited for you all to try this recipe, I know you’re going to love them! Be sure to tag me in your pictures @lions.bread so I can see everything that you’re making from the blog 🙂 I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens! Want to save this recipe for later? Just click the “Pin It” button on any of the images to save this to your favorite Pinterest board.

Love these Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes?

Be sure to check out Fresh Strawberry Mascarpone Mousse, White Chocolate Mousse with Roasted Strawberries, and Easy Lemon Cream Danish

xo – LeAnne

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Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes with Yogurt Cream

One of the best things you can easily whip up from scratch! homemade Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes - lemony soft + sweet biscuit-like shortcakes layered with glossy, syrupy strawberries, and tangy sweet soft whipped vanilla cream! An elevated version of a classic that we all know and love

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword shortcake, strawberry, strawberry shortcake

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Shortcakes

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 295 g
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Morton's)
• ½ cup Brown Cow Whole Milk Plain Yogurt cold, 123 g
• ½ cup cream
• 1 egg AA large
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons cream, for brushing on top
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for the topping

Macerated Strawberries

• 2 pints strawberries hulled and quartered
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g (more or less depending on sweetness)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• small pinch of salt

Soft Whipped Yogurt Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream 220 g
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 13 g
• ¼ cup Brown Cow Whole Milk Plain Yogurt 61 g

Instructions

Make the macerated strawberries

• Combine the chopped strawberries, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium size bowl. Mix well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature or inthe fridge for at least an hour, or up to 3 hours.

Make the Shortcakes

• Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a large measuring cup combine the cream, yogurt, and egg, whisk well. Make a well in the center, and add the egg and cream mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix well, until the dough just comes together, and no dry patches of flour remain. If the mixture feels a bit dry, add another tablespoon of cream. Most importantly, do not overmix.
• Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour as well as your hand, and press the dough out into a rectangle about 8x10". Fold the dough in 1/3s like a letter, then press back out into a rectangle. fold in 1/3s again, the press back out into a rectangle. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into either 6 large shortcakes or 8 smaller shortcakes.
• Place the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the shortcakes with cream, and generously sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Make the whipped yogurt cream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, add the cream and sugar. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the yogurt, and gently fold in.

Assemble

• Most importantly, assemble the shortcakes right before serving, otherwise the shortcakes will get soggy and the whipped cream will deflate.

  Split the shortcakes in half. Spoon the juicy strawberries on the bottom half. Top with whipped yogurt cream, place the top of the shortcake on top. Feel free to add a bit more cream and berries on top for the WOW effect 🙂

  Serve immediately.

The post Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Cream first appeared on Lion’s Bread Blog.

** this post contains affiliate links, which means that I receive a small portion of the profit, at no extra cost to you.

The post Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Cream appeared first on Lion's Bread.

an absolute British national treasure: very rich, caramelized, brown sugar-y crumbly fudge made with clotted cream 

Wait, whaaaaat? So this whole obsession began from my Insta-friend, turned real friend, Emma Duckworth (@emmaduckworthbakes) who lives in the UK and is the absolute sweetest. When I had Ari a couple of months ago, she sent a super thoughtful gift for the baby, and some delicious treats for me (all the way across the pond)! It was package of Cornish Clotted Cream Crumbly Fudge – a tongue twister! I had heard of Clotted Cream in conjunction with scones, but had never tried it. Unfortunately for Clotted Cream, it’s called Clotted Cream and didn’t sound like something I needed in my life. I was WRONG! Hear me out, my fellow Americans! Our British brothers and sisters know what they’re doing.

Not only is Clotted Cream an incredibly delicious addition to buttery scones, when you make a caramelized, brown sugar-y confection out of it, it’s pure perfection, if you’re into that sort of thing (I am!)! Truly one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had.

After I finished the whole package in an alarmingly short amount of time, panic soon washed over me. I live in Pennsylvania, not Devon, Cornwall, England, UK!!! It’s difficult to find tahini here, let alone Clotted Cream! So, I started to watch YouTube tutorials on how to make it at home. Looked easy enough, although they warned me that my ultra-pasteurized American cream wouldn’t work when making clotted cream. They were wrong, because it totally works.

I studied several recipes that I found on British blogs, the BBC, and the back of the Marks + Spencer package that the precious fudge came in (of course I kept it, I had to recreate it!). It took me a couple of tries to get the flavors, sweetness, saltiness, and texture right, but BY JOVE, I got it! If you’re like me and love to make candy and confections from scratch, like Halva Buckeyes and Dark Chocolate Bark with Cherries, Pistachios, Apricots, and Pink Salt, add this Clotted Cream Fudge to your repetoire and impress all of your friends and fam!

If you, like me, live in the US, and can’t find clotted cream, don’t worry. I’m including my method for making it here. And please don’t be scared of making candy. Get a candy thermometer, like this very basic one here, so you don’t have to guess at all. When the temperature reaches 240 degrees F, the fudge is ready.

This Clotted Cream would make an excellent gift for the holidays, or a hostess, or a friend who just had a baby and needs to eat her feelings because having 4 kids is. a. lot. Store the fudge in an airtight container to keep the texture soft and crumbly.

I quite a Brit-o-phile, and I feel like I’m on the Great British Baking Show when I make this fudge. I think that’s reason enough. If you make this Clotted Cream Fudge, or any recipe from the blog, show me! Tag me @lions.bread or #lionsbread so I can see!

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Clotted Cream Fudge

an absolute British national treasure: a very rich, caramelized, brown sugar-y crumbly fudge made with clotted cream 

Course confection

Keyword cream, fudge

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 hours hours

Servings 24 pieces

Equipment

• candy thermometer

Ingredients

• 1 cup clotted cream
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup Golden syrup
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Prepare an 8x8” pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick spray. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan, and whisk to combine over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking gently and cook for another 5 minutes, until it reaches 260°F (soft ball stage).
• Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread out evenly. Allow to fully cool. Cut into small squares, and enjoy!

How to make Clotted Cream:

• To make the clotted cream, pour 2 pints of heavy whipping cream into a large, shallow baking dish. Bake for 12 hours at 175°F.
• Allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Use a spoon scrape off the solid clotted cream into a small bowl.
• Save the liquid whey, and use in biscuits or scones.

The Post Clotted Cream Fudge first appeared on Lion’s Bread blog

The post Clotted Cream Fudge appeared first on Lion's Bread.